President’s Report, Q4

Greetings Airmen’s Members, 

Hope you all are enjoying a nice beginning to the fall season.  We’re doing well at the Airmen’s and preparing for the 2026 year ahead with several highlights in store.  Happy to report that our 2026 Great Alaska Airmen’s Gathering Reffle Plane is coming along well with Brad Sjostedt in Cordova, AK.  We can’t wait to see what Brad and team have in store for this amazing 4-place Super Cub, which will be a first of its kind for the GAAG Reffle Plane. 

To kick off, we will meet in October and say farewell to one of our long-time board members, Steven Lewis.  As Steven will remain a lifetime member with the Airmen’s Association, we will miss him on the board.  I’ve had the honor of serving with Steven over the last 6 years and have appreciated all he has brought forward for the betterment of the Alaska Airmen’s.  With the graduation of Steven from board member to life-time member, we will welcome our newest board member, Kelly Reynolds.  We are all excited to have Kelly as a member of the board, as well as her connections to the interior of Alaska as a Fairbanks resident. 

Additionally, we will work through the election of officers at the upcoming October board meeting.  Although I will remain on the board for 1 last year, I’ve made it known I will be passing on the torch to a new Board President for my last year.  I’ve been honored to serve the Association in the board president role over the past 5 years.  I’m excited to support our newly elected Executive committee and the Airmen’s Association for my last year as a board of director.  Thank you for the support, kind words of encouragement, and confidence in achieving our goals over the last 5 years. 

Please watch for several updates on upcoming events for Q4.  We continue to enhance member benefits, grow our effectiveness on advocacy, and strengthen our Scholarship and Next-Gen programs.  As we approach the end of the year, I’m hopeful that all of our members will join us for our December Christmas Party at the Airmen’s building.  Please bring a friend or family member along and encourage them to join the Airmen’s Association. 

Thank you for your support in the Alaska Airmen’s Association. 

Fly safe, 

Stephen Ratcliff 

President 

Alaska Airmen’s Association